Responding to challenging questions

Although expectant and parenting youth (EPY) express a need for sex education (contraception, healthy relationships, etc.), many programs are not adequately inclusive of EPY.

Sexually Explicit Media (SEM) is one way through which youth are learning about sexuality. Using the lens of media literacy education, this interactive, one-day training will provide educators, youth workers, and professionals with an opportunity to explore how pornography can play a role in young people's sexual development and sexuality, their awareness of gender and gender stereotypes, consent, sexual behavior, bodies and body image, healthy and unhealthy relationships, and sexual identity.

Puberty - a time of great, and sometimes daunting, change for both young people and the adults in their lives. This interactive, full-day training will provide educators, school nurses, youth-serving professionals, and other caring adults with skills and strategies for teaching pubescent youth about their changing bodies, emotional growth, and navigating the path to adulthood in a way that is inclusive of students of all genders and sexual identities.

The Sexuality Education Cornerstone Seminar (SECS) is our most popular training opportunity for foundational information about sexuality education. SECS is designed for educators, youth-serving professionals, and individuals interested in entering sexuality education and are seeking a basic foundation of knowledge in sexuality and sexual health information that they can share with their populations.

Providing quality sex ed is more than just anatomy and pregnancy. But how do you focus on all the stuff that matters to help students making informed and healthy choices?

The Teacher’s Guide has 8 units (listed below) to cover the basics of what you need to know. Go through all 8, or pick and choose what works best for you. Review the units in any order, at your own pace.

Lesson 1: Puberty & the Reproductive System

This unit covers learning pointers about teaching about puberty and reproduction.

Advocates for Youth is delighted to offer half-day, full day and multi-day training - both in-person and virtually - to support teachers and community-based educators to develop the comfort, knowledge and core skills needed to implement sexuality education effectively.

This interactive workshop will allow participants to increase their comfort and knowledge about age-appropriate sexual development in young children and learn the skills they need to effectively implement lesson plans in their districts. The importance of partnering with parents and school administrators to build support for family life education for young children will be addressed. This workshop can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your group, school or agency.

Puberty and Adolescent Development: Growing Pains and Gains will increase middle and high school health professionals’ knowledge of the changes commonly associated with puberty and go beyond the basics for a more complete picture of adolescence. At the end of this workshop, participants will feel equipped to speak with students about some of the more challenging aspects of adolescence, like developing healthy self-concept, addressing negative influences, and making more independent decisions.

Format/platform:

This one-day Foundations training covers the essential skills for facilitating sex education, including: